Late Late Toy Show 2026: date confirmed for Friday 4 December, but the theme is still top secret – everything we know

The Late Late Toy Show 2026 will be broadcast on Friday 4 December, so mark it in the calendar now. Patrick Kielty revealed the date on the opening night of The Late Late Show’s new season in September. Actress Caitríona Balfe did the honours on the red buzzer, the Irish Examiner reported. Below is everything confirmed so far, what has not been announced yet, how to watch from Ireland or abroad, and how much the Toy Show Appeal has raised each year.

Late Late Toy Show 2026: what is confirmed and what is not

The theme is the Toy Show’s best-kept secret. RTÉ normally saves the reveal until the run-up to the night or the show itself, and we have seen no official word on 2026. You may come across guesses online, but none of them has come from RTÉ. We will update this page when the theme is confirmed.

Moving the date into December follows the pattern of the last two years. Kielty’s first Toy Show, in 2023, went out on 24 November. In 2024 and 2025 RTÉ moved it to the first Friday in December.

How to watch the Toy Show in Ireland and abroad

• On TV: RTÉ One, live on Friday 4 December. RTÉ has not yet confirmed the start time.
• Online: RTÉ Player streams the show live. It has been free to watch worldwide, without geo-blocking, since 2013, which is why emigrants abroad tune in each year. In 2025, RTÉ counted 642,000 streams from 137 countries.
• Irish Sign Language: an ISL-interpreted simulcast has gone out on the RTÉ News channel. Audio description was added in 2025.
• Repeat: RTÉ normally repeats the show that weekend. In 2025 the repeat went out on the Sunday afternoon.

Viewing figures show how much of a national event it is. RTÉ says the 2025 show averaged 1.7 million viewers across live and repeat broadcasts on RTÉ One and RTÉ One +1, with a 78% share on the Friday night. More than 300 children took part.

Toy Show Appeal history: how much has been raised

The RTÉ Toy Show Appeal began during the pandemic in 2020. Viewers donate on the night and over the following weeks, and the money goes in grants to children’s charities and projects across the island.

Sources: RTÉ, RTÉ Toy Show Appeal impact report, Irish Times. Totals for 2020 to 2023 come from different RTÉ publications and may count late donations differently.

In 2025, singer CMAT surprised viewers by revealing the on-the-night total. The Irish Times reported that more than €3.5 million of the €4.6 million came through Revolut, the appeal’s donation partner, and that donations stayed open until 19 December. Community Foundation Ireland has run the grants process, and more than 650 grants have been made since 2020.

How the money is managed came under scrutiny this year. In May, RTÉ reported that it was tendering for outside consultants to assess and distribute grants, at an estimated cost of €855,000 over five years. The appeal says 96.7% of proceeds, or €25.8 million, have gone to frontline children’s charities. By our reading those figures relate to a smaller sum than the €31 million headline total, so clearer accounting is worth watching for when the 2026 appeal launches.

Past Toy Show themes

Since Kielty took over from Ryan Tubridy in 2023, the themes have been Elf (2023), Home Alone (2024) and The Grinch (2025). Tubridy’s era included Beauty and the Beast (2015), The Jungle Book (2016), The Little Mermaid (2017), The Greatest Showman (2018), Frozen (2019), Roald Dahl (2020), The Lion King (2021) and The Wizard of Oz (2022). Kielty also hosts the regular Friday show. See our recent coverage: the Late Late’s Halloween special.

What happens next

Expect the theme, start time and appeal details to come from RTÉ in the days before 4 December. The Christmas Bonus lands in the same week, paid in the week starting 7 December. See our Budget 2027 guide. We will update this page as soon as RTÉ confirms the theme. For more on RTÉ’s year, read RTÉ’s Eurovision 2027 stance.

Frequently asked questions

When is the Late Late Toy Show 2026?

Friday 4 December 2026, on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player.

What is the Toy Show theme for 2026?

It has not been announced. RTÉ usually keeps the theme secret until just before or on the night.

What time does the Toy Show start?

The 2026 start time has not been announced yet. Check RTÉ One listings in the week of the show.

Can I watch the Toy Show from abroad?

Yes. RTÉ Player streams it live and the Toy Show has not been geo-blocked since 2013. In 2025 it was streamed in 137 countries.

How much did the Toy Show Appeal raise in 2025?

€4.6 million by 8 December 2025, bringing the total since 2020 to more than €30 million. RTÉ put the total at more than €31 million in May 2026.

Who is hosting the Toy Show 2026?

Patrick Kielty, in his fourth Toy Show since taking over The Late Late Show in 2023.

Sources

• Irish Examiner: 6 talking points from The Late Late Show (19 September 2026)
• Goss.ie: The Late Late Toy Show date confirmed for 2026 (19 September 2026)
• Irish Examiner: Want to be on the Late Late Toy Show? Here’s how to apply (21 August 2026)
• RTÉ: Another record year for The Late Late Toy Show (8 December 2025)
• RTÉ: CMAT unveils Toy Show Appeal total of over €4m (6 December 2025)
• The Irish Times: Latest Toy Show appeal has raised €4.6m (8 December 2025)
• RTÉ: RTÉ to spend €855,000 to distribute Toy Show donations (11 May 2026)
• RTÉ: RTÉ’s Toy Show Appeal raises €5 million (13 December 2024)
• RTÉ: Toy Show Appeal grants (27 June 2024)
• RTÉ: €3.8m RTÉ Toy Show Appeal fund (14 February 2023)
• RTÉ Toy Show Appeal impact report (November 2022)
• RTÉ: RTÉ Toy Show Appeal – Thank You (15 December 2020)
• Wikipedia: The Late Late Toy Show (accessed 1 November 2026; themes, dates and streaming history)

Featured image: RTÉ Television Centre by Greentide, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.